Loretta Henderson – Page 20 – Solo Female Cycling Around The World

Pakistani My fanny

Chugga chugga choo choo….the train plugs along at the speed of a bicycle through Baluchistan province, Pakistan. A part of the world in which blending in and passing by unnoticed is a really good idea. What the hell am I doing in this desert? I am thoroughly informed by everyone, guest house owners, other over-landers and military police, that cycling the road from Pakistan into Iran is not possible but is passable in a military convoy with mandatory armed escorts. Convoys at times stop and wait for hours or nights for an organized safe passing of the area. The advice by all is to keep a low profile, “take the train, avoid confrontations with the military and the convoys, you will get there easier, safer and faster”

Long Sleeve Shirt from “The Cycle Tourists That Don’t Meet Terrorists Clothing Line”, $6USD, available at the tailor next to the Regal Internet Inn in Lahore Pakistan

I figure in order to prepare for such a stealth occasion, that new concealment clothes are in order. I went to visit a tailor, a man who studied clothing design in Toronto and London, then returned home to open a men’s tailoring shop in Pakistan. He is a funny, highly dramatic, artistic type who loves designing clothes. We chat about shirts for some time and come up with the perfect cycling shirt. The “cycle tourists that don’t meet terrorists” clothing line for women cyclists in Baluchistan, an up and coming market, I am sure of it or at least Pandemic The Magic Bicycle and I think so.

Sharif, a men’s tailor seems delighted with the girly girl gear challenge. He sent me out shopping for material with his trusted man Oman. I pick out brown cotton, brown being my all time favorite color because, it is far easier to keep clean outdoors if you just dress the color of dirt to begin with. So what should we wear for bicycle touring in Muslim countries?

Girly Girl Gear For Cycling In Muslim Countries

Pakistani Your Fanny Cover that bum with a long shirt, either a man’s shirt or any xxx-L shirt will do. Kind of like maternity wear even though you may not be pregnant.

Cleavage…How Low Can You Go- Similar to voluminous bosoms popping out in the western world, ankles in Muslim countries are considered to be oh la la sexy, sort of like ankle cleavage. Keep the shorts and ¾ length pants tucked away in the back of the drawer. Adorning yourself with long pants that cover your ankles is a legal must in Iran and highly suggested for Pakistan and recommended for India Kashmir, Muslim Indonesia and Malaysia.

Pro-tip: Try not to distract other drivers with your sexy ankles because causing motorcycle collisions while cycling can be hazardous.

Head Bang’in In Your Headscarf-Covering your head is legally necessary in Iran and highly recommended in many areas of Pakistan. I would of never imagined that pedaling in Muslim countries listening to the Beastie Boys rapping on full volume while wearing a headscarf could be so much fun. Also, choosing cycling routes in cooler climates such as high mountains helps keep me to a sane temperature while cycling in a headscarf.

Pro-tip: listening to the Beastie Boys while cycling in the summertime with a winter scarf wrapped around your head can be fun

FOR GUYS

3 piece suit, cufflinks, bowtie and a top hat. Just kidding, however, men should dress conservatively. The most respectful way to dress is to wear long or ¾ length shorts instead of daisy duke short ones, cover the spandex and wear t-shirt. The traditional shalwar kamiz worn locally is also appropriate and helps you blend in. However, whatever you normally wear is most likely acceptable as well.

Special note: The internet firewall here has my website and others sites blocked. Therefore communication will be limited. I used a special trick to check my e-mail, post this, and update FB and Twitter. I am not sure how many more tricks I have up my sleeve. Thanks for understanding, check back frequently for new news.

A Snowball’s Chance In Hell…How To Prepare For A Winter Bicycle Tour

Some would say that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that they would undertake a winter bicycle tour but for WOW(women on wheels) member Ellen Moseman sees it differently. Ellen, an English teacher living in China took time away from her preparations for her upcoming winter bicycle tour of central Asia and the Pamir Mountains to answer a few questions for us all about winter bicycle touring.

Are you expecting snow? What kind of tires do you have?

Ellen is expecting blizzards; she has equipped her Soma Saga bicycle with Schwalbe Black Shark folding MTB tires ordered from America and shipped to China. She will also be ready with a stick on board to clear out the snow and ice from between the tires and mudguards and a lightweight tarp to cover her bicycle from the harsh elements while camping. For gloves, she will wear a pair Pearl Uzumi with mittens over top, she wishes she had lobster claw gloves but they are too spendy so she is going with what she has got. For more tips on budgeting for your outdoor adventure see No Money, No Honey.

How much money does a winter bicycle tour cost?

On past tours throughout China, Ellen budget ranges about $120 USD a month. She is documenting nomads and religion through a photography project. As a solo female bicycle tourist she is often invited to camp with local families. Emily’s photography work can be found on her excellent website, 2wheels4girls.com. At $4USD a day, with her camera and keen eye for beauty Ellen hopes to be on the road for about 6 months concentrating on the nomadic areas of Kazakhstan.

What items did you add to the panniers, specifically for winter bicycle touring?

one set 100% merino wool thermals top and bottom
one set synthetic thermals top and bottom
Stove, MSR whisper lite international bought new for this trip because her alcohol stove doesn’t burn well in colder climates
Full extra set of clothes stored in a dry bag to warm up quickly and prevent hypothermia in wet weather conditions
A silk liner for her winter sleeping bag
Gortex hiking boots
2 merino wool hats
Merino wool balaclava
2 extra pairs of thick outdoor trekking pants
Tent, a cheap Chinese made tent that she curses at. Ellen hopes to purchase the storm proof Vaude Hogan Ultralight Argon after selling some photographs of her trip

What does this winter adventurer dream of doing next?

Ellen has heard rumors that sometimes the NW passage freezes over enough that you could pedal across the frozen ice but she did mention to not tell her fiancé.

HAVE YOU READ THE BIG WOW BOOK?

Laugh Until You Bust but Pedaling In Pakistan is A Definitive Must…Top 5 Reasons To Pedal In Pakistan

Number 5. Road Side Bombs For some road side bombs and the Taliban is what is conjured when one thinks about Pakistan as a must see bicycle touring location. However, as the media drops bombs of bad news about Pakistan you can be content to know that you are part of a brave posey of bicycle tourists. Travelers, shielded by the adventurous spirit are rewarded with a hospitality that will quickly detonate any misconceptions the media has fired up about the place.

Number 4. Karokorum Highway (KKH) The construction of the KKH is considered to be the 9^th wonder of the world, an engineering feat of friendship between the Chinese and Pakistan. Not only will you make a lot of local friends on the KKH, you will be pedaling by glaciers that touch your pedals, cascading rivers and white snow capped mountains. I am a solo female who pedaled the KKH in a headscarf in July 2011 and the views were almost as beautiful as the people I met along the way.

Number 3. Down Hill From Here Visas are available for most nationalities on arrival at the Sost, Pakistan/Chinese border or in your home country. The road cascades downhill from China with no real climbs all the way into Islamabad. A lot of folks stop at Gilgit, I pedaled the final 470km of the KKH. into Islamabad on a decent half dirt, half asphalt road. I continued pedaling to Lahore and crossed into India.

Number 2. Got To Love A Good Adventure The KKH north of Karimabad in the Hunza valley was washed out by a landslide which caused a lake. Board your bicycle on to a boat and experience the added bonus of an adventurous boat ride with your bicycle. While peering at rock cliffs and glacier fed crystal blue water, the boat will brings you back to the main KKH road.

Number 1. Peace Go now and hope for world peace and harmony while you are at it. The KKH is a doable bicycle tour (2011). However, cycling some parts of Pakistan remain not possible. After all my website skalatitude.com is described as “when humans and nature are living in harmony there is magic and beauty everywhere”. That’s why, this solo female continues to cycle around the world on a magic bicycle.

For a slide show of Pakistan and to enjoy the other new slide shows check out the

Camera Carnival(Gallery)

special note: (fast forward 2 months, I a posting this 220km from the Pakistan border after pedaling a detour loop of north India. I am now on my way west back through Pakistan for the second time and into Iran)

Top 5 Reasons Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby

My Rohloff, my German internal gear hub system, love of my life, I take thee for better or for worst, in sickness and in health until death do we part, my friend, my companion and love of my life. I lawfully wed thee in front of the cycling community… You may now kiss your hubby Rohloff.

Isn’t he cute? I always have loved red hair

Top 5 Reasons Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby

Number 5. No Skid Marks On The Derailleur You never have to clean skid marks off the derailleur. Actually Rohloff is a S and M freak, after all he is German (bad joke). He prefers to wear metal underwear especially if it is a thon. He will however settle for wearing a thorn instead at most occasions. His internal gear system is encased in a strong metal casing so gumming up the derailleur is never an issue.

Number 4. Low Maintenance. I have been in this exclusive relationship for 2 and ½ years. A long time for a relationship that began online. It doesn’t take much to keep my mail order hubby happy. The secret? Cook him up a little “oil de la oily” for dinner every 5000-10000km and you are good to go. (the rohloff hub requires an oil change every 5,000km)

Number 3. Always A Great Ride. Smooth, gentle moves every night of the week, Oh la la, need I say more. 16 countries and 30,000 km later. Rohloff has still got it. (lifetime guarantee)

Number 2. Watch Bicycle Porn Rohloff’s idea of a great time on a Saturday night is watching a thrasher movie featuring a derailleur that has lost its gear on the western side of the middle of nowhere. Out in the Gobi desert, Karakorum Mountains or the jungles of Borneo, my hubby Rohloff has stood loyal and faithful throughout all of the above.

Number 1. Your Sugar Mama Will Be Jealous. Ok, so Rohloff comes with a high price and you might need to get another sugar mama to buy one of these, however, over time the cost will make up for itself with an unending, committed happiness. And like an expensive wedding ring, you will look at it, feel it’s beauty and smile knowing that this one actually does come with a lifetime warranty.

For more gear news see Girly Girl Gear For Guys Too

We Want Freedom. An Interview With Cindy Travis

“We want freedom, we want justice, long like the Dali Llama, we want freedom, no more repression….”. The echo is powerful; the women’s voice is horse from shouting from the heart, a place that only someone who truly knows can find.

As the Free Tibet march progresses downward from the mountain top, I find myself overwhelmed and chatting to Cindy Travis, a retired bicycle tourist and veteran sister of the road. Cindy saw the world for 8 years from the saddle. I had a chance to ask Cindy if she missed bicycle touring. “Sometimes” she said loudly over the intense energy of the Free Tibet March taking place in Mcleod Ganj, India, home of the Dali llama.

What about life on the bike, do you miss? “The wind on my cheeks”, she hollers as the group of 100’s, make their way past the Tibetan government in exile compound. Do you still have your bicycle? I wondered. “Nope, she smiles, sold that one week after the divorce papers were signed”, the air of freedom permeates throughout the hills as we carry on forward amongst a chorus of “We want freedom…no more repression…”.

What has 8 years of bicycle touring taught Cindy? Cindy’s Buddhist philosophy shines as she speaks about attachment, “…material possessions don’t mean a whole lot anymore although I do love my new book collection”. Cindy pedaled the world for 8 years with 2 books, her collection now rounds out at about 62. Cindy explains what most of us bicycle travelers have learned as well, “…while bicycle touring around the world I was more often than not embraced with overwhelming kindness, I just want to give back now”. Cindy works as a volunteer geologist for the Tibetan government in exile, is writing another book, is mentoring 2 Tibetan youth, meditates daily, walks 5-10km a day and was recently blessed by the Dali Llama. I someday hope to find such peace and happiness in my bicycle touring retirement.

Tibet Crisis, self immolation of monks, a candle light march

Special note: 7 monks in the last few weeks have self immolated, setting themselves on fire in monasteries’ throughout Tibet. The Tibetan people have entered a crisis period and there are weekly marches and candle light vigils in Mcleod Ganj and throughout India to raise awareness of the ongoing human rights violations of the Tibetan people in China.

Good Curry And A Spicy Conversation, Canadian Women Cyclists Unite For Dinner In India

The Canadian flag can be hung high and proud this evening for Canadian female cyclists. 7000 miles (11000 km) from home, 5 Canadian cyclists meet by chance in a church court yard in Shimla, India. We immediate say hello and decide to meet for dinner for some good curry and a spicy conversation.

Melissa Yule and Kate Harris are on a bicycle tour of border areas researching conservation areas. Their website cyclingsilk.com, highlights their 10 month pedaling excursion through Central Asia, Tibet, Nepal and Northern India. They have also shared their findings in a cool interactive website for geography teachers and students, www.reachtheworld.org. A friend, Hana Boyle joined them in Nepal for the final stage of their cycling and research journey. Robin Mackay also attends our table. Robin is an experienced international bicycle tourist and has been cycling solo in Northern India for the last month. I round out our table, on the road longest but WOW am blown away by the stories we all have to share at this wonderful table of (WOW) Women On Wheels.

Meet Hana, Melissa, Loretta, Robin and Kate

How Do You Handle All The Attention?

All 5 of us in attendance had been told numerous times that camping in our tents or pedaling over that mountain pass was impossible. The local men discouraged us and insisted we all take local transportation due to the fact that it was too dangerous. Melissa, Kate and I have all fallen for this at least once. I took a truck ride in a mountain pass that the locals insisted was full of snow, I jumped out after 10km when I realized it wasn’t snowing but only raining a little. Melissa and Kate took a bus for a short jaunt in Nepal because some local men said they were in extreme danger. Seems the local guys are a wee bit protective of us foreign women and may not realize that we get to the top like the rest of the guys pedaling the Indian Himalaya this year. We all laughed at ourselves and said we would never fall for that one ever again!

How Many Hours A Day Do You Ride?

Melissa, Kate and Hana spend 4-5 hours in the saddle a day, either in the morning or the afternoon; sometimes they spread it out throughout the day. Robin usually finishes by noon when the weather is coolest regardless of distance. I have a tendency to just ride all day regardless of the weather, about 100km, sometimes more sometimes less.

Have You Had Any Problems?

Robin and I were the only two pedaling solo. Unfortunately, Robin had been groped while getting a cold drink in a shop while pedaling towards Dharamasala and another similar insistent occurred in an internet café. Robin is not the first woman I have met in India who has had a local man grab her bum or crouch. However, the young man who groped Robin did not fair too well. In fact, he may of gotten some sense shock into him, literally. In both incidents, Robin grabbed the guys by their collars and made herself perfectly clear that doing that is not acceptable. You go girl!

What Are You Going To Do When You Get Home?

Kate will be expanding cyclingsilk.com and writing a book about the bicycle adventure and their research. Melissa has a boyfriend and a move from Ottawa to look forward to. Robin meets her husband tomorrow at the airport and will continue pedaling with her him throughout India. Hana originally from Whitehorse, returns home to Vancouver after pedaling the India Himalaya to a new job as an indigenous rights lawyer. And me? Well, I will continue to raise awareness concerning bicycle ambulances and sell charity t-shirts as I pedal back to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and into Africa. I hope, I will meet these remarkable (WOW) women on wheels again someday, perhaps, back in Canada for some Indian curry.

Tires and Tears…Have You Ever Cried On A Bicycle Tour?

With big ole tears running down my cheeks I take three deep breaths and carry Pandemic The Magic Bicycle over my head through the river current. The road has been deteriorating throughout the day with the river getting deeper at each road wash out.

It is not quite as deep as I had imagined and only comes above my knees. However, it’s powerful velocity feels like three bull dozers trying to clear me away. I push back through the forceful flowing water, get my panniers and drag my legs through the cold Himalaya mountain water hoping for the best for a second time. I am still crying, however my feet, shoes and legs are now very cold and shock my eyes into drying out.

I freedom camp solo, travel alone and have pedaled a crossed deserts, mountains passes and traveled throughout arctic climates alone without concern. However, this river crossing at 3800 meters (12500 feet) has gotten the best of me.

I have long ago discovered that physical and mentally I will take it farther than most, however, emotionally I melt down long before I will give up. And yes, occasionally I can be seen, pedaling along with tears rolling down my cheeks hiding behind my sunglasses.

It is a good thing that there is no shame in tears because river current is my weakness. I have been washed down rivers a few times in my life. Once in the forty mile river in a class 3 rapid in the arctic, I flipped an old school wooden canoe and was rescued downstream by kayakers with a rope. Another time, I filled my lungs up with water and was punched by a good friend in the chest to clear my airway.

I can swim, in fact I am a lifeguard but humbled time and time again by the power of water. Cascading current has a way of making me feel small, very small and very much alone. At 108 pounds (49 kilos) and 5 foot 1 (1.55 meters) I have been swept off my feet without warning while trekking through rivers right next to larger friends. However, I have always considered myself huge compared to an Asian person.

Normally, I would never fess up about such humbling emotional moments, however, after having talked to a few folks on bicycle tour about tires and tears, it turns out that I am not all that alone after all. Here’s what I found out about crying on tour.

Lonesome Blues. A couple of male bicycle tourist said they cried while pedaling because bicycle touring solo is lonesome. For more about that read Boo Hoo Hoo Tackling The Lonesome Blues.

Turtles. A friend cycled up on another solo bicycle tourist in Kyrgyzstan on the side of the road and found him crying hysterically over a turtle. The turtle had been run over; his shell was cracked and he was squealing in pain. The bicycle tourist was also squealing in pain, crying, trying to sort out how to help the turtle.

Always Saying Good-bye. One touring couple that I met in India told me that both partners had cried that week. He started crying when it was time to say good-bye to yet another new friend, a sweet family, who had brought them in for the night.

Exhaustion and Hunger The other half of the touring couple had a little cry a few days earlier on the side of the road about ½ km from the town that was the stop for the day. She was hungry, tired, frustrated and did not want to go on. She laughed when she told me because she hadn’t realized the destination was right on the other side of the hill less than ½ km away.

Celebration. A couple of cyclists I asked reported that sometimes making it to the goal is worth a few tears. For one, it was pedaling across Canada to the ocean, for the other it was completing a dream, a 6 month cycling loop in South East Asia.

Tires and Tears? How about you? Are you willing to share an Oprah worthy bicycle touring moment? I’ll send some cyberspace tissue for the best story in the comment boxes below, and please remember, there is no shame in tears even on a bicycle tour.

Booteh Call…Six Tips For The Solo Female In India

How about one kiss? Ah, no thanks man, I am all set. Sex, sex, sex? Nah, man. Rupees, rupees, rupees? What, dude, you got to be shitt’in me, right? For everything you must think about me right now, I do believe you should be giving me money for sex not the other way around.

There is a serious misunderstanding going on in Northern India concerning western women. Apparently we are all sexual pariahs of the street walker variety. The western women status is glorified with wild amounts of exposure to western movies and pornography. The biggest question I ask myself is how often has it happened in the history of Indian tourism that a solo female on a bicycle in the big ole Himalaya has actually put down her bicycle and dropped her drawers right there on the side of the road and got busy with a construction worker.

Performing the romantic road side oh la la with a shovel wielding skeevey pervert who wipes his bum with his bare hand can’t possibly be considered a romantic tourist destination, can it?. Adventure tourism is big these days but that’s stretching it a little. Seriously people, has this particular courting tactic ever actually worked? Here’s a tip for y’ah, show me your hand soap and I might just show you mine.

So What Can You Do? Six Tips For The Solo Female In Northern India

Bring It On, Buddha…Buddhist villages, and areas with temples and stupas are scattered throughout Northern India. Plan overnight stops in these areas. Buddhist folks are kind, gentle and welcome road weary travelers with smiles and kindness.

Fall In Love With Wrinkles…old ladies rock and almost always seem to pick up on the fact that solo women could use a proverbial warm cup of chicken noodle girly girl soup. This past week I slept with two old Tibetan sisters and one of their husbands. They adopted me and welcomed me into their home for the night.

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid being alone with some guys. Give police officials and military personnel a very small amount of your time. Don’t go inside buildings or official tents where you will be outnumbered or alone. They can do their job of checking your passport just as easy while you are anchored to a magic bicycle. A magic bicycle also makes a great getaway vehicle if anyone decides to go down skeevey pervert lane.

Separate Areas Women In India have the right to go to the front of the line and have a separate area for bus travel, banking lines and general shopping. Remember this as you blatantly shy up while being shown an all male ‘pants a tingling’ communal sleeping and eating area often found in roadside rest houses. Camping way out of site is also a good option and there is plenty of camping places in the mountains.

Become a polygamist. My apologies to every solo guy on a bicycle I have ever met because sometimes I show people your photos on my camera and make up lavish tales. Presently my husband is from Slovenia, he is a 2 meter tall engineer, he wears rainbow spandex, is a much faster cyclist than me and is always waiting up ahead. And Mr. Slovenia if are reading this, thanks because it is very easy to show everyone your oh so cute spandex clad smile. India is now my third country out of 16 in which my nose will surely grow from all my lying. For more on that read Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire.

The Motorcyclists On A Holiday Crowd. Educated folks seem to have a more liberal westernized understanding of friendships between men and women. There are plenty of local guys on a motorcycle holiday who are fun to chat with, share tea or a dormitory style sleeping room, if you feel like getting to know some locals.

Laugh, and realize that it is funny to be considered a sexual pariah, and drool over those Himalaya Mountain tops as much as some men you will meet will drool while in visioning you as a porn star. For more funny stuff on that, read Porn Star about some cycling adventures in Borneo.

The Tibetan Dance Of Tardy Technology

High up on the Ladakhi plateau at 3500 meters, I find myself lingering for the day while arranging bicycle replacements parts for Pandemic The Magic Mountain Climbing Bicycle through friends of friend in Germany. My altitude junkie soul and mountain legs are antsy to pedal south over the 5325 meters (17470 feet) Taglang Pass that lay ahead in the Leh to Manali via Spiti Valley. The route is famous for altitude cycling and often considered one of the world’s best cycling routes.

Due to my September start and the surrounding accumulation of snow high up on the mountains I am sure to encounter some cold temperatures and snowy adventures, The road rises to over 5300 meters just south of here and then continues on over 4 more high altitude passes. Regardless, The Ladak Festival and the dance of the Tibetan Buddhist monks is surely nothing to complain about for a day, while I wait for an e-mail from friends of friends in Germany.

As the monks descend from the temple steps, the trance like rhythm of wooden flutes and trumpets indoctrine the mid-morning morning crowd into a peaceful post breakfast glow. A tempo of rainbow colors beat in the high altitude shimmering sunshine as the dancing monks of the temple, circle round and wave, sway and jump in rhythm.

A cadence of didgeridoos pulse throughout the Himalaya, ancient ceremonial flutes echo from the snow capped hills as the gong of bells reminds me of the Buddhist nature of finding spirituality in the beautifully mundane nature of life. My multihued impatience of waiting for an e-mail quickly succumbs to the tempo of bells, drums and dance.

Cloaked masques soar high above as watchful prayer flags flap in the peaks of the crystal blue air. Tasseled capes brush by like soaring Himalaya eagles, as the gathered crowd smiles and sense the percussionist gong of an experience remembered. As the music shades the afternoon cool breeze, the lingering sensation of a last dance wafts through the cobble stone alleys of Leh, Ladakh. I hesitantly return to Pandemic The Magic Bicycle to finish preparing for tomorrow departure for the mountain tops, where I hope to find my subsequently imposing dance, the magic bicycle mountain dance of the Tibetan no longer tardy e-mail.

Honk, If You Like Cycling In India

HONK, HOONNNNKKKK, HONK, HONK!!! I am positive, I now need hearing aids. Yep, I am sure of it. The growing market for hearing aids for cyclists just got one bigger. I do believe the folks here have some serious honking issues. A unique technique of horn pushing is in use at all times here in the India Himalaya. There is the carnival horn, the never ending can life on mars hear me honk and my personnel favorite, the 6 part medley chorus of various octaves and ear drum vibrating you deserve to be swore at honk.

The special horns of India get a lot of use due to the fact that ramming into oncoming traffic seems to be the genetically engrained driving technique so often used throughout the day. Also, the spectacularly scenic mountains roads of Kashmir and Leh are hardly wide enough for a truck and a magic bicycle therefore I am now deaf as I enter Leh, Ladak. Good thing I am solo, cause, what’s that you say? I would not be able to hear you talking anyway.

I have replaced my headscarf with a new set of hearing aids in order to continue pedaling forward into Leh. I also have purchased a new outfit. A sexy shiny metal body armor, a second hand military metal suit left over from the 3 wars between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir region.

The irony is that the region is dotted with villagers of Muslim, Animism, Shamanism, Tibetan Buddhist and mixed religions, a spiritual salad of colorfully adorned people and glowing smiles. The people of the gorgeous mountains are a gentle sort with the most unique driving technique I ever hope to encounter. Remarkably, I do believe I might be the only one on the road actually trying to stay alive in India.

Here’s The Route At A Glance-Srinagar to Leh via Kargil local Rd. 450KM (280 mi)

Necessary Equipment: hearing aids and a metal spandex outfit, including a tank to clear the way

Preparation Prior to The Trip: Middle finger exercises, so that flipping the bird one hundred times a day at honking trucks will look graceful and natural

Highest Pass: The one you will have to make at the military personnel who decides to dispute your permit and say women alone on bicycles aren’t allowed down the line of control local road. This will either be a pass or a punch depending on the size of your ear ache and acquired mood from cycling in 10 tons of metal at 3500 meters. (And yes that’s true; some military man in a bad mood said that to me. I laughed, he eventually smiled, I pedaling away).

For more specific info on this auditory odyssey, feel free to post comments below

For Northern India Slide Show Click Here